MILESTONES

Made first stage appearance when she crawled on stage at the age of ten months during her mother's vaudeville act

:

First appeared in parents' vaudeville act at age three

:

Toured Europe with parents in "The Barto and Mann Vaudeville Team" during childhood; toured with father after her mother's death

:

Was featured on radio serial, "The Lady Next Door" as a teenager

:

Pursued career as a torch singer

:

Obtained first Broadway role in a case of mistaken identity when she auditioned for director and producer George Abbott and Richard Rodgers for musical "Best Foot Forward" (1941); she was misintroduced as Miss Walker since they had been expecting a singer named Helen Walker; she kept the name Walker and the role was expanded from five lines to a leading one to highlight her talent

1941:

Broadway debut, "Best Foot Forward" at the Barrymore Theater, New York

1943:

First feature role, "Best Foot Forward"

:

Co-starred on Broadway in musical "On the Town"

1948:

Starred in first non-musical Broadway play, "Waltz Me Around Again"

:

TV debut, "Musical Comedy Time"

1951:

Toured USA in production of "Roaring Girl"

:

Regular role on TV's "The Jerry Lester Show"

1954:

Opened nightclub act at the San Souci in Miami Beach

1962:

Made directing debut with "The Pushcart Affair" which foled on the road

1966:

Broadway directing debut with production of James Kirkwood's farce, "UTBU" (Unhealthy to Be Unpleasant) at the Helen Hayes Theater

:

Directed the off-Broadway production of "The Wen" and "Orange Souffle", the first plays of Nobel laureate novelist Saul Bellow

1970:

Moved to Los Angeles

:

Regular role on TV series, "Family Affair"

:

Regular guest appearances on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show"

1970:

Debuted her Rosie character in Bounty paper towel commercials

:

Played the housekeeper on "McMillan and Wife"

1971:

Appeared in final stage musical, a revival of "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" opposite Phil Silvers at the Los Angeles Music Center